House Passes 9/11 Health BillSeptember 30, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act by a wide margin. The bill, long supported by the New York Congressional delegation, would provide long term funding for 9/11-related health care and research, and it would re-open the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

“Today’s bi-partisan vote by the House of Representatives is a significant moment in a fight we have waged for years,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement. “Today’s vote acknowledges that the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks were an attack on America, and addressing its health impacts is a national duty. This bill recognizes that the country should be there for the tens of thousands of responders who were there for us on 9/11.”

The legislation still requires Senate approval before
President Obama, who indicated his support in a statement delivered to the House prior the vote, can sign it into law. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has introduced 9/11 health legislation in the Senate, said in a statement “I’m working closely with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring the bill to a vote in the Senate. I know the Majority Leader fully supports our legislation, and I am pushing strongly for the Senate to take up this bill during the next work period.”

The next work period in the Senate begins after the mid-term elections.